Movable sign



H. H. VOSS MOVABLE SIGN April z2, 1930.

Filed April '5, 1928 3 Sheets-Shea?I l .um Ell...

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H. H.-vosls MOVABLE SIGN April 22, 1930.

Filed April 5, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Qwen Hago/T V055 WSN H. H. VOSS MOVABLE S IGN A April 2z", 1930.

3 Sheets-Sheet r3 Filed April 5j, 1928 Y Patented 'Api'.v A22, 193.0

l operation;

e orl marmein M. .MAYER `AND "BOBEBTQQ MOVABLE sien Tl'iis invention-relatesto rnewanduseful impro'v'ementsy in movable signs, and'has for its object the-provisionfofa continuous message display, utilizingH exhibit space exceeding in area the exhibition space Islorrnally' available nfa-givenjlengthf'' With theabove-and other' objects in view, as will'be apparent,this'iinvention'consists in the construction,- combination and arrangement of parts, all'as hereinafter more fully described,`claimed and Iillustrated in the accessively-passed a predetermined pointv ofvexcompanyling drawings, wherein: f

VF'g. l iis a front elevation 4Vof afcabi-net for housing la--movable 'sign embodying this inl vention, and illustrates theportion of aimes# sage vvisible to-anlobserver when the slgn'is'ln Y ig.2 is/ a horizontal;sectiompartly -in ele? vatin',talren along line 2-2 offFig. ,to show the assemblyl of parts; A y i i "V isfa horizontal sectionrtaken Online 3-'3 of-'Fig:1;

' Fig. `'sisa -verticalsection taken along line of F ig. 2, illustratingv the -mounting vof the sign units therefor;f y Y Y Fig 'isalverticalseotiontaken on line Y5-'-5 of FigfQ, and illust-rates the pivotal mount-r ing ofthesign unitsg". v

YF ig. '6 isa ffragmentary Y horizontal` section taken online-Gof Fig, 4, showing detailsl and the driving mechanism ofthe-mechanism for reversingthesign units;

' Figjf? is an irregular'vertical f1 "ag'gmentaryrv sectional'fview; taken on Vline y7j-7 ofQFigfQ, showing-a Lseries of'jsign units in: operative positionr and illustratingthey position ofone of the units inthe process @fr eversal fFig., 8 is a perspective viewofa signfunit Y showing the detailsthereof :Zand

"Fig". 9 is a 'l'iorizontal` section taken on l line 9-9 bf -Fig7,through oneofthe-'signuuita disclosing the mounting of f the letter 01 39X- hibition panels@ f f In anfadvertisingdeviee ofthe-general type i comprising amovable 4vmessage' yor display,it isA desirable l toy-produce ai message jorf'disp'lay of Y maximum length within a ylimitedlspace. Tol this end yit j is, necessary to*` provide. means j for v'increasingf the available exhibition space in-a manner `to: accommodate? aiseries of'vmese sages' or a message having anlength exceedingy that Qbt'ainable under lnormal conditions-,-'to

wit, -a single -exposed exhibitionarea. This Y result is f accomplished vin the `present invention f by providing moving chains ycarrying' a series of reversible sign units, each'- Of said sign units bearing,on each face thereof, a portionof afmessage or display, which portionsV play. "After this seriesl of signunits 'bearing a'portion-of a message' or display have sue'- pvosu're to observation, and 'having vthus dis-l played a message orportion' thereof,'eachlof said -seriesof units is'successively yrever-sed at apoint removed from observatiom'prep aratory yto redelivering said series .offunits` v combine topresenta-whole message'ordisto the aforesaid lpredeterminedv pointof ex- Vdisplaywhile the successive reversaland sub-V sequent exhibitionrof the sign' -units ycreates a new vand different message ordisplay.

RefemnCe being 'had vIIlOIjeparticularlytb 'the drawings, H' represents a housing A or cabineti'n whichfthe device formingthe sub; jectmatter of this invention ism'ounted. This cabinet-basa baseB and atop'1'l`,betweeny which' arev mounted two vertical parallel shafts lOJan'd 210.v These shafts 10411191210 are spaced Iapartandlocated at opposit'eends of 'thebaseB and: topifl aforesaid, inthe approximatelongitudinal center thereof. Each Y .of said shafts 10- anddO havela-pairof sprockets 13 secured 'thereto and -so= spaced that' thesprocketsare `mounted `r'near the resp'ec-V tive extremitiesofthe shaftsjlO- and 210' A standard electric v'motor M isfmountedon said Y base kkBin a convenient'location and said motorfis operatedto drivet-he shaft' 10, lwhich is provided with a spiralI gear l2 adaptedito'engage-a similar.k gearzll onfthe shaft of thev motor, aszshown iniFigs. 2, 8, gifandi?. By

reason.- offsaid.'gears 11- and 12, the motor :M Y .rotates-the'fshaft l0 to '.turnfthefsproclret 13 mounted@thereon;v 'y .s Y l An endless chain C coacts with each pair of Vcoplanar sprockets 1B and extends from one Y end of the cabinet H to the other.

As the shaft is driven, the superposedV chains C are operated by the sprockets 13 and the idler shaft 10 is thus driven. The links forming said chains C lhave projecting pins 14 extending downwardly from the upper chain C and upwardly from the lower chain C. These pins 14 aredesigned to constitute pivots for the 4 mounting of the sign units S, to behere-V inafter more fully described, and to that end each'pair of superposed pins 14 are aligned vertically, one with the other, and the chains 1G at each end thereof and aligned longitudinally therewith. Each of these trunnions 16 'has a socket-17 therein, which is adapted to receive one of the pivot pins V14, whereby the sign unit S is.` ivota-ll mounted between a pair of said pins `14 and between the chains C. Thev lower Vtrunnion v16 of each sign unit S carries a spur gear 18 by means of which the unit is oscillated'or reversed, as will be described more fully hereinafter. Inorder toremovably attachsi'gn panels 19 to the op.- posed faces of the sign unit S, each face there- Vof is surrounded by a flange 2O outstanding from said sign unit S, which at its outer edge 20 and bev held-by the lips 21 at the sides of l the major portion of the movement of the terminates in a lip 21 thereby forming a groove 21 upon three sides of each face of the sign unit S, said grooves 21 being open at their upper ends to permit insertion of panels 19, bearing the display matter forming the Vmessage orslogan tobe shownfflt is to be observedthat if desired, only the two' longitudinal sides of the sign unit S need be pro'- videdwith grooves 21 so that the edge of 'thev panel 1 9 will merely rest on the lower flange said sign unit S.

" 1n order to prevent the sign units S from moving out of the desired alignment as theyv travel through the cabinet, a guide .channelA v22is fixed on the-base B coeXtensively with the. course of movement of the chains C. As

will be noted in Figs. 4 and 5, where the guide channel 22`is shown inl section, theupright webs of said channel 22 cooperate and contact against both sides' of the lower edge of the sign unit S, while the bottom or horizontal portion of the channel adapted t0 act as a `bearing surface for the under-side of the mov- 1 ing chain C. In this manner, throughout chain C, the sign units S areso engaged by the channel 22 that the units are not permitted to have any pivotal movement. However, in

order tov successively reverse the units, the channel is cut away as at 23, in Fig. 6, for

a distance slightly greater than the width of y the sign unit S to permit-the edges of the sign unit to have a safe clearance from obstruction in the reversing operation. 1t will also be noted fromFig. 6, wherein an arrow indicates the direction of movement of the sign units S, that the guide channel 22 has a flared entrance to facilitate thev movement of the unit S into the guide channel 22 as it continues its courseV of movement'subsequent to the reversal operation.

lcoacts with the teeth of the rack R and imparts a half turn to the unit S to obtainV a reversal of its positionv preparatory to its next'passage through the machine, `all with- Y out any interruption in the movement of the chains C. y

The sign units are preferably of a size to allow a series thereof to be viewed simultaneously through the opening 24 in the front wall of the housingH, illustrated lin Fig. 1. By thus allowing several sign units to appear simultaneously, it is possible to maintainV in view at any given time, two or three words each of an average number of letters, as Fig. 1 discloses.- YAs the chains C travel through the cabinet H, one surface of eachl sign unit S successively travels across the opening 24 and is there exhibited. After this has been accomplished, the sign units S are successively reversed and the opposite orxunexposed sides thereof are then successively exhibited through and across the opening 24, this operation and reversal being continuous. Thus theV matter appearing on one surface comprising the respective sides of the .entire series of sign units S combine to form one message or display, and subsequentlyv the Vopposite surface comprising the corresponding previously unexposed sides ofthe vwhole series of sign Vunits S combine to make another messageor display, after which the sides initially shown areagain presented. Y v

`It is, ofcourse, understood that the opposed sides of the sign units may form two separate or distinct messages or may form oney continuing message, whichever is desired.

1f each of thesign panels19'bear a letter, words canbe built up by insert-ing the panels bearing appropriate letters, in .the grooves 21', of theunit.S,lwith'blank panels to designate'the Vspaces between the words. As the vspace than is normally available in said length, for the purpose of accommodating a units S are conveyedacross the opening 24 for viewing the message to be presented, the letters successively appear from the right hand end of the opening as in Fig. l, until the l entire word is exhibited.v yAs the sign units successively vpass to the left and out of view, they are reversed, andwhen they again ap' pear vat the right side of the opening 24, a second series of letters and Words appear as akresult of a different'combination of lettersV carried by the previously uncxposed r sides of the units S.

Longitudinal beveled strips andv 26 are respectively disposed interiorly above and be-r low the openingl24, to conceal from view the chain and pivot mechanism supporting the signl units, as theytravel across saidopening'24. f

To illuminate the sign, lamps'L secured in -the Yrear of the beveled strips 25vand 26 surrounding the opening 24, are adapted to cast.

light on the outer faces of thevunitsv as the same arerbrought to view in the opening 24.

From the foregoing itis-manifest that the g. l present invention adordsa type. ofi advertisfing device for producing and movably exhib#v iting a continuous unitary message or display on a givenjlength ofv surface havinga uni-v -formly'fflat solid contour, with facilities forvv automatically obtaining a greater vexhibition unitarV messaUeor ydis la of maximum b length, Aand at the same time maintaining a i surface of a uniformly flat solid contour'rel-Y ative to the message or display while on view.l It is further characteristic of the vpresent sign that Vthe matter contained on the panels 19 may be varied and for this purpose the-ele- .a 1 ments of the sign maybe readily and quickly changed at will to presenta variety of mesy sages and'words.

A supply'of panels 19 adds to the adaptability of the sign and its uses.

l/Vhat is claimed` is: l f l. The combination Vwith a flexible sign element comprising aseri'es of signunits,

each sign unit consisting of a rectangular plate-having opposed faces, aviiange surrounding each of said faces atv its lower and 'w longitudinal sides, said flange terminating in a'lip to form a groove for removably holding a panel bearing display matter,vof a housing enclosing said element and having an exhibition openinggtherein, means for continuously moving said sign element Yacross said exhibition opening, said sign units occupying coplanar positions when vpassing across said exhibition opening and combining in a relationship to form a unitary sign, and means for reversing said units after passing saidl opening whereby theycom'bine to form a new unitary sign. i

2; The combination with a flexible sign element comprising a pair of superposed endless conveyors, of a series of sign elements, co-

operatingzwith said-conveyors, eachznnitliav-f ing aptrunnion at eachfendfthereof"foripivotal engagementpwith saidfconveyors,'ione fof said trunnionsi'being.: provided aW-itha; spur. gear, :a

housin E inclosingf said conveyors 'and` sign units, 1 eing. 'fprovided 1with?f zaneexhibition I,

opening in` one side thereof;:means forrcof `1tinuouslyvmovingsaid conveyeors across said exhibition opening, said sign units atthat point being' sok related one to the other that they combine. tol constitute a unitary" sign,

andmeans in the path of movement of said fie' conveyors at a pointremote from said exhi-V spur gears aforesaid to pivotally and successively movel saidsign units whereby other facesv of said sign unit are presented in 'the` exhibition opening to Vcombine to form a uni- .Y

tary sign.'

3. The combination with a flexibleY sign element comprising a pair of superposed chains,

bition opening for successively engaging the Y 'i of means for operating said chains in unison l consisting of a pair of vertical shafts, a` sprocket mounted near the respective extremities of leach shaft, each pair of sprockets cof. 1

unit including on 'eacliof its several faces an l.alphabetical or` numerical character, of a housing including said. element and having an exhibition opening 'in one side thereof, means for continuously moving said sign element to display said sign units through said exhibition opening, said sign units being so related oneto the other when positioned in said opening that the characters yon the faces thereof combine to constitute a'unitary mov` ing message, and meansfor operating said sign units about their pivots at a point in the path of movement of'said sign element removed from said exhibition opening, to successively present the several sides of said units.

ment comprising a pair of superposed chains, ofnmeans for operating said chains in unison consisting of a pair of vertical shafts, al

sprocket mounted lnear the respective extremities of each shaft, each pair of sprockets co-V 4. The combination with a flexible sign eleiio acting with one of said endless chains, means for driving one of said shafts, a series -of sign units interposed between said chains and having pivoted connection therewith, each sign unit including on each of its several faces an alphabetical or lnumerical character, of a housingincluding said element and having an exhibition-openingin one side thereof, a

guide for preventing pivotal movement of said units during .the major portion of thev path of movement of the chains, Vsaid guide consisting of a channel having upright webs adapted to cooperate with and contact against both' sides. of the lower edge of the sign unit, I

and'hving a-bottom portion adapted to act as a, bearing surface for the under'side of the 10Wer'chain,'and means at' a point remote v from the exhibition opening to coact with the Sign units and successively reverse-their. positlons, said guide belng out `away to permit the rotationthereof. Y o e HUGO H. VOSS. 

